Week 2 - Term 3 Newsletter 2024

Principal's Message

Dear Families and Friends,

Welcome back to what is shaping up to be another wonderful term of learning and community, it has most certainly been a busy couple of weeks to start the term. I trust you have all had an enjoyable and safe holiday break with your families. 

NAIDOC  Week  - Celebration Day

Last Wednesday, alongside the St James Yamba school community,  as we were able to come together to celebrate NAIDOC Week which provided our students a unique opportunity to celebrate the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Students engaged in activities such as storytelling, art projects, and traditional games which not only fostered a deeper understanding and appreciation of Indigenous cultures but also promoted reconciliation and respect amongst both school communities. It was wonderful having our local Indigenous elders and community members to share their knowledge and experiences, thereby enriching the students' learning journey. This celebration day was a pivotal moment in the school year, highlighting the importance of inclusivity and cultural awareness.

Attending NAIDOC Week celebrations at St James, allowed our students to connect with their peers and experience a larger community event. This collaborative celebration enhanced the sense of unity and shared purpose between the two schools, providing students with a broader perspective on the significance of NAIDOC Week.  It was an enriching experience that fostered inter-school relationships and encouraged all our students to carry forward the values of respect, recognition, and reconciliation into their everyday lives. I would like to thank Miss Ann Dawson and her staff for their hospitality and organisation of the day as well as thanking Mrs McMahon & Mr Randall for contributions to the day and overseeing the participation of our school community in this wonderful event.  

Parent Forum Meeting - Tuesday 7th August

Next Tuesday, 7th August (5:00-6:30 pm), we will be holding our Term 3 Parent Forum meeting in the School Library. 

It would be wonderful to see some new faces share their voice and ideas. Whilst most of our Executive Positions are filled, we are always looking for new parents who would like to be involved in 'Parent Voice & Parent Community', which is the main focus of our Parent Forum.  Please know that ALL PARENTS ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND each Termly meeting.

If you have any questions, want an item added to the agenda, or are interested in any of the above positions, please get in touch with Lauren Kirkland, our Parent Forum Secretary (lozzacdk@gmail.com).

School Review  - Monday 12th - 14th August 

Please be advised that during Week 4 (Monday 12th August - Wednesday 14th August), our school will be undergoing a comprehensive School Review to evaluate and enhance our educational practices, ensuring we provide the highest quality learning experience for our students. This review will involve a visiting Panel who will provide an in-depth examination of our teaching methods, curriculum, and overall school environment using the ACER School Improvement Tool as a reference point to how we are tracking as a school community and assist planning out our 2025-2027 School Improvement Plan.

I encourage the entire school community, including students, parents, and staff, to actively participate and provide valuable feedback during this process. Your insights and perspectives are crucial in helping us identify our strengths and areas for improvement. 

For that reason, I am asking any parents who would like to contribute to this process to RSVP to Mrs Bell (amelia.bell@lism.catholic.edu.au) as we will be having a parent session on Monday 12th August at 2:30-3:15pm.

During this session you will be able to give the Panel valuable insight into the direction of our school. I am hoping that by making it just prior to school pick-up we may able to get 8-10 parents. Your support to this process is much appreciated.

Science Week  - Thursday 15th August

Also occurring in Week 4 - is National Science Week - Australia's annual celebration of science and technology. It provides an opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of Australian scientists to the world of knowledge. It also aims to encourage an interest in science pursuits among the general public, and to encourage younger people to become fascinated by the world we live in.

As part of celebrating Science Week, all classes will be participating in a Science Activity afternoon on Thursday 15th August at 1:45pm. Students will take part in a variety of science experiments/design tasks to encourage and celebrate the importance of scientific & inquiry skills in our children. We would love as many parents as possible to attend our afternoon sessions and join in this wonderful experience!

Class Term Overviews

Please find attached below, Term Overviews for all classes. These Overviews are important in letting you know what topics or areas of focus your child will be engaging with each subject through the course of the Term. Also within the document is a copy of your child's timetable, so that you can not only be aware of what they are covering each day but a point of reference for asking 'how was their day' etc. Please note 'hard copies' will be sent home with all students on Monday. 

Upcoming School Dates

• Term 3 Parent Forum Meeting (Tuesday 6th August)
• Resilient Kids Program - Stage 2 & 3 (Thursday 8th August)
• Stage 3 Netball & Soccer Knockout (Friday 9th August)
• School Review (Monday 12th - Wednesday 14th August)
• DIO Athletics (Friday 16th August)
• Staff Development Day/Pupil Free Day (Monday 19th August)
• Stage 2 & Stage 3 Rep Touch Football Gala Day Grafton (Wednesday 21st August)
• Book Week Parade (Friday 23rd August 2pm)

Leaders of Learning

The Five Critical Questions: Exploring "What Are You Learning?"

As part of our ongoing effort to enhance student achievement, we will take a closer look at the 'Five Critical Questions,' approach designed by educational expert Lyn Sharratt. This term, we are exploring each question in detail, starting with the first: "What are you learning?"

This question is not just about identifying tasks or activities; it's about understanding the core learning objectives. When teachers ask, "What are you learning?" they want students to explain the key concepts and knowledge they are learning, rather than just describing the activity. The focus is on the learning itself, not just the actions taken to complete the task.

Understanding why they are learning something is also important. It helps students see the relevance of their lessons to their broader worldview, making the learning experience more meaningful. This understanding can motivate students and help them engage more deeply with the material. If students can clearly explain what they are learning and why, it shows that the teacher has effectively communicated the Learning Intention.

In our classrooms, we use deconstructed Learning Intentions to support this process. Deconstructed Learning Intentions help students understand exactly what they need to learn by breaking down the learning goals into clear parts. This process includes unpacking key vocabulary to enhance students' understanding of the concepts. By clarifying the language and ideas, students can better grasp the content and see its relevance to their lives.

By focusing on these elements, we help students understand the essential concepts and see how their learning connects to their everyday lives. This understanding is crucial for making connections, deepening learning, and applying knowledge in real-world situations.

In the coming weeks, we will continue to explore the remaining questions, sharing insights into how these questions guide classroom practice and how you can support your child's learning at home. Stay tuned as we further discuss this approach and its positive impact on our students' educational experiences.

Mrs Senz, Mrs Mclennan and Mrs Mullins

Mission & Values

Mercy In Action Award

Congratulations to the first recipient of our prestigious Mercy In Action Award for Term 3, Poppie Weedon. Poppie receives this award in recognition of the courage she shows in her learning on a daily basis, in each and every lesson. She doesn’t give up, even if a task is challenging or appears difficult at first. She perseveres, continually showing a bright and happy attitude. Congratulations Poppie!

Save the Date - Father’s Day Liturgy and Lunch

Father’s Day this year will be on Sunday, 1st September, and our school liturgy and lunch will be on Friday, 30th August at 12pm. Please save the date. In preparation for this liturgy, I am asking families to begin emailing me photos of our students with the significant men in their lives, to be included in our Father’s Day tribute video. Please email your photos to louise.senz@lism.catholic.edu.au along with the names of the people in the photo. The children and parents alike love watching this video and it’s so special for the children to see themselves with their important people on the screen.

Sacramental Program: First Holy Communion Preparation

Next Tuesday, 6th August, students who are undertaking the Sacrament of First Holy Communion will begin their preparation for this very special Sacrament of Initiation. Students will complete four preparation lessons that aim to help them understand how recieving the Body and Blood of Christ strengthens their relationship with God and helps them feel like they truly belong and have a purpose within the church community. 

Mass Timetable

Each Friday, students attend Mass at St. Mary’s at 12pm, and our family members and friends are always welcome to come along and celebrate Mass with us. The Mass roster for this term is as follows;

Kindergarten and Stage 3 - 9th August (Kindy only), 23rd August, 13th September.

Stage 1 and 2 - 2nd August, 16th August, 6th September, 20th September.

Please note we will not attend Mass on Friday 30th August due to our Father’s Day Liturgy.

Term Dates: 

Week 3 

• Reconciliation Retreat - Thursday 8th August
• Mary of The Cross Mackillop Feast Day - Thursday 8th August
• First Holy Communion Preparation Lesson

Week 4

• First Holy Communion Preparation Lesson
• Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Thursday 15th

Week 5

• First Holy Communion Preparation Lesson

Week 6

• First Holy Communion Preparation Lesson
• Father’s Day Liturgy and Lunch - Friday 30th August

Week 7

• Reconciliation - Thursday 5th September
• First Holy Communion/School Parish Mass - Sunday 8th September

Week 8

• Accendere Retreat (Year 4) - Monday 9th September

Week 10

• Sisters of Mercy Feast Day - Tuesday 24th September

Parish ‘Souper Sunday’ - Sunday 11th August

Our parish is having a get together! This will be to celebrate the Feast Day of St Mary of the Cross Mackillop and to officially welcome Fr Roland to our Parish.

This will take place in the Cranney Room next to St Mary’s Maclean. Come for a cuppa at 10 and stay for soup at 11. There is a gold coin donation at the door with all proceeds going to St Vincent dePaul as well as a 100 club and raffle, with proceeds from these going the Yamba Catholic Ladies. Please RSVP by 7th August.

Mrs Senz

Class Awards

Our Principal's Award winners this week are:

Our Class Award winners this week are: 

Class News - Kindy

We are thrilled to share some exciting updates from our class! Kindergarten have been making wonderful progress in their learning and we have so much to celebrate.

Our young readers have now mastered many letters and their sounds, and we are channeling this knowledge into enhancing their reading fluency with reading ‘phones’. It’s amazing to see their confidence grow as they become more comfortable with this new tool!

In maths, we are exploring number concepts, using rhythm and movement to help understand that whole numbers indicate quantity. This hands-on approach makes learning fun and memorable. We have also been using visual representations of numbers to assist in combining and separating quantities up to 10. This helps the children grasp numbers and their relationships in a tangible way.

In Science, we are delving into the wonders of our environment. The children are learning about daily and seasonal changes, observing how the world around them transforms throughout the day, months and the year. It’s a joy to watch their curiosity blossom as they make new discoveries.

We are so proud of Kindy’s progress and we look forward to many more learning adventures together!

Mrs Bennett & Mrs McMahon

School Sport

Welcome to Term 3! As always, we’ve hit the ground running with a busy and exciting schedule for our students.

NAIDOC Day Celebrations
We kicked off the term with NAIDOC Day celebrations, where students had the opportunity to engage in the indigenous game of Edor. This game was adapted across year levels, fostering cultural competency and a love of movement. It was wonderful to see students embracing this activity with enthusiasm and respect.

Friday Sport Activities
In Weeks One and Two, students focused on netball skills with Miss Ava during Friday sport. The emphasis was on teamwork and fundamental movement skills. As we move forward, these netball activities will segway into football skills for the remainder of the term. This shift aims to further develop fundamental movement skills and teamwork, with a particular focus on building resilience and accountability.

Olympic Initiative
Within our school setting, we’ve introduced an Olympic initiative. Students are rewarded with medals for demonstrating team spirit, collaboration, resilience, and accountability throughout the school day. The stage with the most medals at the end of the Olympics will enjoy a hot food party. Additionally, two special students will be recognized as 'little legends' and will receive 5 tickets each to attend a Brisbane Heat game. These students will be chosen based on their outstanding display of accountability and resilience.

Zone Athletics
Congratulations to all students who attended the Zone Athletics event that was held on Tuesday the 30th of July at the Coffs Harbour International Stadium. All students represented our school with pride and gave it their best effort. A special mention goes to Year 5 student Roman Hickling, who came third in the Junior Boys Shot Put and has progressed through to the Diocesan event. Well done, Roman!

Focus on Sleep Health
A top priority for PDHPE and schoolwide health this term is addressing and improving sleeping habits. Adequate sleep is crucial for primary school-aged children as it directly impacts their physical health, emotional well-being, and academic performance. Research indicates that children aged 6-12 years should ideally get 9-12 hours of sleep per night. Adequate sleep helps improve attention, behaviour, learning, memory, and overall mental and physical health.

Below is a reference on the required sleep students should be getting, which provides simple guidelines and tips for establishing healthy sleep routines at home.

We look forward to a fantastic term filled with learning, growth, and lots of fun!

Mr Gilchrist

Pastoral Care - School Chaplain

Australian Primary Principal Day

We are thrilled to celebrate a special occasion: Primary Principal Day! This is a day dedicated to honouring the remarkable leaders who guide our schools with vision, dedication, and unwavering commitment to our students' success. 

We are fortunate to have four outstanding principals leading our schools, each bringing their unique strengths and passion to our educational community.

On Wednesday we celebrated Primary Principal Day, we want to extend our deepest gratitude to Mr. Layland, Mrs. Mullins, Mrs. Senz, and Mrs. McLennan for their exceptional leadership. Their hard work, passion, and commitment to excellence make our schools wonderful places for learning and growing.

Ms Mead - Student Wellbeing Officer/School Chaplain

Pastoral Care - School Counsellor

RAISING RESILIENT KIDS  

The focus on raising resilient kids will continue this term at St Joseph’s.

Resilience can be defined as

“The human capacity to face, overcome, and even be strengthened by the adversities of life.”

(The International Resilience Project)

Why do kids need to learn resilience?

There are two main types of adversity that children can face.

1. Low level, every day adversity
2. Major adversity

For children low-level adversity can come in the form of everyday stress caused by disappointing results or challenges at school, at home or in social situations.

A major adversity causes higher levels of stress and may be due to the loss of a loved one, family conflict and violence, bullying or mental health issues,

How children respond to both types of adversity can have an impact on their current and longer term wellbeing and mental health. We know that mental health issues such as anxiety are on the rise in young people and early intervention and prevention leads to the best outcomes.

If you have any concerns about your child's resilience, the good news is that it is definitely something that can be taught and built. If you'd like some strategies to use at home you can take a look at the School Counsellor section of last term's newsletters where I have focused on a different resilient building area in each edition.

To help raise the resilience at St Joseph’s, students will be participating in The Resilient Kids Program run  by the Family Centre on Thursday 8th August. All parents are warmly invited to attend a parent information session held by the program facilitators on the same day from 2.15 to 3.15pm.

We hope as many parents as possible can attend to hear about what was covered in the workshop, ask questions and get more tips on raising your child's resilience.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss resilience further, I can be contacted at the school on Thursdays and Fridays or via jessica.jones@lism.catholic.edu.au

Jess Jones - School Counsellor

Bullying & Friendships

Teach Your Child to be an Upstander

An upstander is a student who actively observes and takes action when they witness bullying, whether it involves intervention, interruption, or speaking out against it. Their role is paramount because, without an "upstander," the peer facing bullying will frequently experience an overwhelming sense of isolation, compounded by the fact that there are bystanders who choose to remain silent. This silence not only fosters the belief that others are indifferent but also suggests approval of the ongoing bullying behaviour.

There are some simple messages that you can teach your child:

1. To treat others the way we would like to be treated (Luke 6:31)
   • Help your child to understand what bullying is and the different forms it can take in school and online. By teaching your child about bullying and the need to face it with courage, you can help them to be brave and stand up to bullying behaviour.
   • Social exclusion is a hurtful form of bullying that is more prominent now than face-to-face bullying. Social exclusion can occur online and face-to-face. Encourage your child to talk to you or a trusted adult if they see this harmful behaviour in order to problem-solve how they can help.
   • Teach your child that if they are standing by and watching bullying behaviour face-to-face or online, they should consider if they would be okay with this behaviour occurring to them. This can teach empathy. Also, asking, "What if this was happening to your best friend or sibling?" can help teach compassion.
2. Every person, regardless of what he or she looks or acts like, is created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27; James 3:9-10) and is worthy of the dignity that God gives to every person.
   
   • Model and teach your child to respect diversity. Teach your child that it is hurtful to bully others based on aspects such as their physical features, skin colour, race, skill level, and age.
   • Model and teach your child to be open and accepting of diversity in school and the community. A way to help your child understand empathy is to use the concept of the circle of concern. According to the Harvard University project ‘Making Caring Common’, children are generally kind and empathetic to people they know, but parents can help teach children to be kind and empathetic to people outside of their immediate circle of concern. Start with someone in your street, a new classmate, or a relative who may be socially excluded, and encourage your child to start a conversation. Teach them to look for similarities, not differences. Encourage your child to ask a classmate who plays or always sits alone to join them during break time.
   • Talk to them openly and honestly about how we are all unique and different. Remind your child that everyone likes feeling included and appreciated by experiencing kindness and friendship at school.
   • Consider the values you reflect to your child. Encourage the values of inclusion and kindness in your family life so that your child learns and acts on these values.

Watch with your child: Toasted TV:  How to be a bullying upstander from Kids Helpline.

Technology News

Embracing Digital Literacy: Creative Learning in Action

In line with the NSW Curriculum, our school is dedicated to developing students' digital literacy skills. Digital literacy is essential for helping students understand and navigate the role of technology in our world. 

Why Digital Literacy Matters

Digital literacy encompasses the knowledge, skills, and understanding students need to access and contribute to the digital world. By integrating technology into our lessons, we foster creativity, stimulate problem-solving, and encourage critical thinking. These skills are crucial for developing a curious mindset, boosting confidence, and preparing students for future learning.

Creative Digital Learning

We aim to build these skills through engaging and creative lessons that support seamless skill transfer across different applications and devices. Our year 1 students have been exploring digital skills through a fun and creative project. They've been using Google Drawings to create self-portraits. This activity helps them learn to navigate a webpage, use a trackpad, and work with various tools such as the curve line tool. Through this process, they practice inserting and formatting shapes, adjusting colours, and layering elements.

Our students had a fantastic time working on their self-portraits, and I'm sure you'll enjoy seeing their creations just as much as they enjoyed making them! It’s a fantastic example of how technology can make learning engaging and enjoyable.

I look forward to sharing more updates with you as we continue to integrate technology in innovative ways.

Mrs Mclennan

eSafety Webinars for Parents

Ensuring your child’s online safety is crucial in today’s digital world. We’d like to let you know about some valuable free webinars on eSafety for parents:

• Understanding How to Support Your Child with Online Gaming
  For parents and carers of primary and early secondary school children.
  Tuesday, 3 September, 12:30pm
  Register here
  
• Consent and Online Boundaries: How to Support Your Primary-Aged Child
  For parents and carers of primary school children.
  Tuesday, 13 August, 12:30pm and Wednesday, 11 September, 12:30pm
  Register here
  
• An Introduction to Online Safety and Emerging Technologies
  For parents and carers of primary and secondary school children.
  Thursday, 5 September, 12:30pm
  Register here
  

These webinars are a great opportunity to gain insights and strategies for supporting your child’s online safety. I encourage you to consider attending!

Mrs Mclennan

Library News

Book Week at St Joey's is being held this year from the 20th to the 23rd of August. We spend one glorious week celebrating books and Australian children’s authors and illustrators during this time. Students will have a chance to check out the books available through our annual Book Fair when they visit the library with their class before Book Week. The library will then be open from 8.30 am - 9:00 am and 3.15 pm - 3.45 pm Tuesday to Friday during Week 5 for parents to join us in exploring the many different titles on offer and make purchases. 

Various activities and competitions will be held throughout the week, and our show-stopping event will be the Costume Parade on Friday 23rd August at 2pm.

Mrs O'Brien

Parent Forum

Parent Forum Meeting

Our Term 3 Parent Forum Meeting will be held Tuesday, 6th August, at 5:00 pm in the school library.

We warmly welcome anyone to attend these meetings, with no obligation to attend regularly or to hold a position.

The Parent Forum Team

Community Notices